


Sleeping Beauty-- uh, Thug

by Introverted_Cupcake_x



Category: Bully (Video Games)
Genre: Christmas fic, Comedy, M/M, Theatre, Trent is a dramatic theatre kid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-30 01:22:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17214407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Introverted_Cupcake_x/pseuds/Introverted_Cupcake_x
Summary: Jimmy wished that he could spend today lazing by the fireplace in the beachhouse, but sadly he had a debt to repay Trent and it involves starring as a leading character in the academy's Christmas production of Sleeping Beauty.





	Sleeping Beauty-- uh, Thug

**Author's Note:**

> Essentially a crack fic, it was a bit of exercise that I've done in about 3 hours tops. So I hope it's funny c:

“Oh man, why’d I agree to this?” Jimmy grumbled, flicking through his script one last time to make sure he remembered everything. A few feet away, the auditorium buzzed with activity as students and teachers began to fill the seats, so the white noise didn’t help his nerves - which he isn’t admitting are making him slightly nervous in the least because he’s used to being stared at his whole life-

“Thanks for helping me out, man!” Trent suddenly appeared beside him, panting heavily. Jimmy shrugged his hand off his shoulder in annoyance.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m only doing this because you saved my butt with the final art exam, don’t get too attached.”

“I mean it,” he grinned. “As soon as this is over, I’ll take you out for dinner too.”

“You mean for burgers and cola in the only fast food restaurant within 10 miles of this place because everywhere else kicks out kids? Romantic.” Jimmy rolled his eyes but the blonde cackled.

“Not there, numbnuts. I mean the Vale Hotel.”

“Really, now?”

“Yeah! I made a deal with Gord to get us a private booth as long as I washed his old man’s car and did the valet shit, so now I got us a 5-star dining experience waiting for us!”

Jimmy began to try and imagine what it’s like inside. He’s never been, but he does have a fond memory of protecting a certain couple from being harassed in the outside dining area of that expensive hotel…

“Jimmy?” Trent spoke up and he snapped out of it.

“Sounds awesome, I’ll wear my Aquaberry tuxedo.”

Trent snorted and butted their shoulders together, almost making the fuzzhead drop his script - seriously, how much did Cornelius write down?

“No need to go THAT far for our da-- I mean, get-together!”

“Trent, it’s not that I don’t like you or anything, but couldn’t you use that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take Kirby for a fancy meal to impress him?”

“Can’t,” the blonde sighs, “he’s on some sort of weird diet. The whole football team is, as well. Mr Burton says that everyone has to shed weight to run faster or crap.”

“Well - we can’t have too many mentally-healthy members on the team or they’ll defect to the social justice club,” Jimmy tried to joke, but Trent got distracted by a shiny decoration that made him gasp and point - a random gold star that’s not meant to be in the forest backdrop.

“WHAT FUCKER LEFT THAT STAR THERE?! SOMEONE TAKE IT DOWN!”

Jimmy sighed in relief. At least he has 10 more minutes to read over his lines again, or look around at other cast members - others who may or may not have been coerced or bribed into taking part in the play, but some he wouldn’t expect to be here at all such as Damon, who is dressed up as one of the Good Fairies - specifically the red one, fluffy tutu and tiara that was obviously bought from the pound shop due to it’s plastic sheen in the blinding backstage lights.

“Nice crown, Damon,” Jimmy jibes and the footballer glared at him, huge fist clenching around his magic wand.

“Not. A. Fucking. Word."

The fuzzhead’s lips twitched.

That’s another thing. While everybody practised together or in pairs, Jimmy read everything alone from the safety of his room in Blue Skies with Zoe’s help. Even she lost it when she read parts of the script, calling it cheesier than the Romeo and Juliet movie with Leonardo DeCapricorn. Of course, because Jimmy never went to the drama clubs, he had no clue who’d actually be playing as who, so this was a completely pleasant surprise.

“How did you get into this play?” Jimmy asked innocently.

“Trent is a sneaky son of a bitch,” he snarled, almost shaking with embarrassment and anger. “He caught me with some stuff I’m smoking at the back of the garages and threatened to tell Mr Burton.”

“What a shame,” the other male tutted. “If you makes you feel better, I got roped into this because I had trouble with my final art exam and Trent gave me a cheat sheet while Mrs Philips turned away. I say when this is all over, it’ll be VERY well worth it.”

“Easy for you to say,” he mutters, “what I had could’ve gotten me expelled from the football team!”

“Although I’ve only had a week to revise this script, so I say we’re pretty fucked,” Jimmy shrugged.

“You can say that again…”

Jimmy glanced about, but the flurry of activity left him dizzy, plus some genius turned up the heaters in the backstage so sweat began to build up into the old German-style dress that he had no choice but to wear. At least that since he’s playing as a woman, he’ll have very little speaking lines.

Someone bumped into him and Jimmy glared as Cornelius shoved something onto his head - something long and obnoxiously blonde. Oh, wig?

“Put it on!” the nerd hissed, shivering in… fear? “If Trent sees Sleeping Beauty with a buzzcut, he’ll take your balls and string them to the flagpole!”

Jimmy didn’t hesitate to correct the wig.

“So when do I get my pretty tiara?” he jokes, but the other male already hurried off to nervously tell Damon to put his black wig on.

“FIVE MINUTES!” Trent called from somewhere and everyone began to panic even more, checking their papers and clothes for last-minute fuck-ups.

Gulping, Jimmy made his way to the curtain to peek through a gap…

“Holy fuck,” he muttered, eyes roaming around the audience - the only seats that are empty are those that would’ve been occupied by the cast of the play, but aside from those, there’s a full house.

Trent almost knocked him down trying to see what he’s seeing.

“Holy shit!” he gasps, “a full house! I can’t believe it! This is going to pay off! I’m going to be a recognised director for Hollywood one day!”

“Gerroff me!” Jimmy hissed and pushed him off, “you’re getting dust on my dress.”

“You look gorgeous, by the way,” Trent says with a wink before hurrying off to throw a hat on Gloria’s head - who’s playing as the Green Fairy.

The fake castle walls are set up, and Jimmy stepped back just as the curtains began to slowly, slowly draw back and the scene revealed itself to the audience: the king and queen (played by Constantinos and Eunice) sitting in the chairs from the headmaster’s office disguised in cardboard slabs to look like golden thrones, random people who are the visitors to the grand party and the three good fairies, Damon, Gloria and Ray. Gloria's eyes usually shone with intelligence but today she looked like the sweetest little fairy, smiling much more than usual. Ray just uncomfortably adjusted his short skirt, wishing he wore shorts.

The cradle between the 'thrones' contain a cheap plastic doll that was probably nicked from the garbage behind the girls dorm, but someone glued a wig upon it and painted eyes on it (some weeb gave it anime eyes) so that she’d look a lot less frightening.

“Bless the little lamb!” Eunice began speaking powerfully, “I’ve waited for the day when I get to show our precious daughter to the world!”

Jimmy relaxed, sitting down on a crate while watching. He won’t need to be on for a while, but beside him Trent kept tapping his foot impatiently, biting his lip.

“Hey, Trent,” Jimmy whispers and he looks at him sharply. “I’ll kiss you if you stop biting your lip.”

He smiled before watching the scene again, relaxing.

“She is beautiful indeed…” Constantinos breathed and someone in the audience tried not to lose it at the ugly doll in the cradle, barely holding back their gasping cackles. “It would be a shame if something happened…”

Trent’s hand clenched into a fists.

“That’s not in the fucking script,” he growled.

The fairies happily approached the cradle, bowing to the baby. Damon stood up straight, face filled with all of life's regrets as he announced in a strong Scottish accent:

“Hark! We’ve come to bless wishes upon the wee lass!"

The audience burst out laughing.

Gloria spoke up very loudly to be heard, facing the audience.

“I will give her a gift first!”

She went to the side of the rickety cradle, waving her green magic wand. “I bless the baby with spectacular good looks!”

The audience howled and laughed again.

“She needs to be euthanised!” someone cried out.

Ray bounced by the baby’s side, coughing before waving his wand in the same manner you would for the Wingardium Leviosa spell, that nerd.

“I bless this baby with a free spirit that’ll see her through the darkness of her life!”

Damon coughed dramatically, readying to speak when-

Suddenly, the wind machines off-stage blew up a storm and everyone panicked as gold-painted paper plates and fake plastic wine glasses flew off the table and clattered to the floor. One of the party-goers fell to their knees dramatically, holding up a slice of plastic cake and wailed. As everyone salvaged the ruined party ‘food’ a figure dressed in black with paper-mache silver horns walked onto stage - Maleficent, who is played by no other than Lola. Jimmy almost choked on air as he stood up to hiss to Trent:

“Trent, has she even READ her lines?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he sighed. “Give her some credit, Jimmy, she may be a cat on heat but she does know how to read.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.”

“Greetings, everyone!” she began evenly, strangely low even for her tone. Of course, whoever designed her black dress clearly meant for her cleavage to be shown subtly, but she also wore an onyx glitter bolero and long black gloves. The only thing that ruined the look’s seriousness was the stuffed crow stitched to sit beside her head, awkwardly pecking her ear whenever her shoulder moves. “I’m so delighted to be invited to your delightful ball!”

Damon rolled his eyes. “Lady, you weren’t invited.”

Trent almost lost it - clearly ‘lady’ wasn’t in the script but Lola gasped loudly and the footballers in the audience went ‘oooooo!’ like the meme with the men who witnessed someone getting burned.

“I B-BEG your pardon?” Lola blinked rapidly, “not invited? I was under the distinct impression that I was, considering how popular I am!”

Jimmy leant over to Trent, whispering: “I can see why you chose her.”

“Face it, witch! You’re plain evil!” Gloria burst, puffing her chest out. “You weren’t invited because you’re so creepy sitting in your castle all day making weird spells!”

“They’re GOOD spells!” Lola exclaimed, trying to keep up her smile, “why, without them, my friends would be without support!”

“Yeah, like trolls and goblins,” Ray cackled and the other party-goers chortled.

Even though the play wasn’t being taken seriously at all, Lola’s head jerked like she was personally insulted and stormed up to poke his chest angrily.

“They’re misunderstood creatures that ALL of you shunned just because they’re not rich or human!” Lola burst, “well, when I’m done here, your pretty princess will bear the brunt of your anger...”

Ray, Gloria and Damon immediately step in front of the cradle, holding their magic wands out.

“Bitch, don’t you even think about it!” Damon snapped and Trent facepalmed, whining and quickly shaking his head.

“No swearing!” he whimpered, “oh crap, if this keeps up, I’ll be barred from script-writing forever then I’ll NEVER be a famous movie star-”

“Trent!” Jimmy hissed, “just watch and relax.”

Lola plucked a wand from the belt around her waist, holding it high, and the stage lights turned green.

“IT’S INEVITABLE!” she roared and the wind machines blew again, but more gently so that her dress fluttered. “ON THE NIGHT OF HER 16TH BIRTHDAY, PRINCESS AURORA WILL DIE UPON TOUCHING THE NEEDLE OF A SPINNING WHEEL!”

The wind blew harder before it subsided and she began to cackle as the lights turned to normal.

At last, Constantinos stood up with a dramatic flare while Eunice held her baby close, terrified.

“Arrest her!” he declared but smoke suddenly appeared from a smoke bomb dropped from the ceiling and Lola made a prompt escape - cackling and choking at the same time.

When the chaos was over, Eunice began to sob, hugging the hideous baby.

“My poor child! Barely a week old and she’s already cursed to die young!” she wailed while her husband patted her shoulder sympathetically.

The fairies looked at each other before Damon groaned and took a step forward, holding his wand up. He’d wish for the tutu to stop being itchy against his white tights, but he reserved the wish for the baby princess.

“Fear not, your highnesses,” he rolled his eyes, waving the wand, “because I will make a wish for the little lass. After she dies, she’ll wake up again with a kiss from her one true love.”

But unlike the other fairies, the wand’s tip suddenly popped and fired red glitter in the air to land on the little family. Constantinos inhaled some glitter and tried to cough them out.

“It’s good stuff, your highness, let it wash you all with love and luck,” Damon chortles, obviously ad-libbing.

Before the king could strangle the fairy, a black curtain fell to hide the scene while Cornelius - dressed in his G&G wizard getup - stepped onto stage carrying his script disguised as a magic spellbook.

“After that chaos at the party, the good king and queen decided that for the safety of their precious baby daughter, they decided to allow the fairies to take her into their care and live in a cottage in the middle of the forest.”

Trent whispered to Jimmy with a grin: “Get your basket ready, beautiful.”

Jimmy sighed and picked up the basket, dropping his script and wandered behind the black curtain while everyone quickly tidied up the props and hauled up fake trees and grass. He fluffed up his wig, swallowing a lump in his throat before breathing deeply. He can fake a nice personality at weddings, but not at theatre plays where he has blackmail against him…

He tuned his hearing to the narrator in front of the curtain to listen more.

“...Thus, 16 years later, the beautiful princess Aurora, still unaware of her destiny and royal heritage, went out to find berries to pick while her godmothers all prepared for her birthday for when she comes back in the evening.”

The curtain finally rose and the lights from the audience almost blinded him, but gasps and snickers made him nervous until he straightened his back and looked about, pretending to find berry bushes to pick from.

“Where are you, my dear friends?” he called out and laughs were heard. “Please won’t y’all help me find berries?”

Upon him saying that, Pedro - dressed as a squirrel with a full-orange bodysuit, fake ears, a tail made out of pipecleaners and a snout made from a party hat - popped up from behind a bush carrying another basket, which was already full.

Jimmy simpered, inwardly cringing as he accepted the basket.

“Thank you, little rat.”

Trent facepalmed.

“I’m a squirrel!” Pedro squeaked, breaking character, but the audience howled. Even the teachers are in good spirits. Jimmy grinned and practically threw the basket at him, almost falling from his hands straightaway.

“You’re right - but like you, I’m having an identity crisis too. I wish I knew more of who I am so that I could explore the big world beyond this forest.”

Trent's mouth hung open to scream - Jimmy’s deviating from the script!!!

Pedro just stared at him with big eyes as he sat on a fake rock thankfully made out of tough plastic.

“Don’t you wish you could meet more people, squirrel?” he asks, “and I mean more of your kind, not the same ol’ people again and again.”

“I-I-I wouldn’t know,” Pedro gulped. “I’m just a squirrel.”

Just as Trent was ready to pull the fire alarm and fake his death with a mannequin at Bullworth Dam...

“Not that I care what you do, but one day…” Jimmy stared off into the audience, not looking at anyone in particular. It made the audience members in the back row very uncomfortable. “I’ll find a prince to call my own.”

‘Yesss he’s back on track!’ Trent sighed in pure utter relief.

“A prince?” Pedro uttered.

“Yes, a prince!” Jimmy exclaimed gleefully and stood up, grateful that the dress is long enough to hide his hairy legs. He’s equally grateful that he’s allowed to wear white trainers as long as he doesn’t trip on the skirt. “One who’ll sweep me off my feet and we’ll go on adventures together!”

“That sounds romantic!” his friend piped up. “Maybe I’ll come with you and find friends of my own!”

Jimmy just laughed, not giving him an answer and someone in the audience went ‘HAH.’

“Hey, rat, I’ll be just over here finding some quality berries, so don’t disturb me, okay? Thank you, bye!” Jimmy said before hurrying off-stage and the squirrel sighed, sitting behind a bush.

“We all love her,” he says to the audience. “She gets very lonely sometimes, hanging out with the same old hags in the middle of a deep dark forest…” He shudders. “Even I’m scared of the dark, but I get to sleep in the attic, so I’m grateful to have her as a friend.”

Off-stage, Trent nodded at Eunice as she began to bang a pair of coconuts together, making the sound effect of a horse trotting through the lush forest of cardboard cutouts. But in reality, Trent himself grinned as he put on his hat and looked at the horse beside him with two unfortunate nerds inside.

“Onward, noble steed!” he hisses and pulled the ribbon of the rein and they walk on-stage.

Someone spluttered out laughing as Russell and his boys hooted and clapped wildly even though he hasn’t said a word yet, just standing there with a winning smirk and winked.

“Svounds! What a glorious forest!” he began, puffing his chest out. “What shall we find here, horsey?”

“Food?” one of the nerds inside the horse cracked and Trent subtly stamped on the offender’s foot through the horse costume, still grinning at the audience.

“My father told me to follow my heart if I want to move out of my home castle, so it took me here, but where is that beautiful singing coming from?”

He put his leather-gloved hand to his ear, listening, but someone in the audience made a farting noise and his cheeks flushed - he carried on like a champ, voice wavering.

“O-oh gosh!” he exclaims, looking to the side off-stage, “a female! An actual unrelated female! I must hide and come up with an excuse to talk to her! Hide, you useless horse!”

He pulled the horse behind one of the pop-up bushes, both heads looking over the plastic leaves as Jimmy skipped back to his spot, looking around.

“Who the hell was that?” he wondered out loud and Pedro the squirrel popped up behind another bush.

“It was I! A handsome prince!” he joked and Jimmy guffaws, putting the basket down.

“Dance with me and prove it!”

Pedro is half of Jimmy’s height, but with what they know from normal ballroom dancing, Jimmy was a natural, almost spinning the small boi off-stage.

“When did you learn to dance, Aurora?” he gasped as he steadied himself upright, pressed back against Jimmy’s chest.

Jimmy wanted to say ‘At my mother’s weddings because it was mandatory’ but of course he didn’t, instead saying:

“In my dreams with my REAL prince,” he answers.

But while they danced, more slowly to accommodated Pedro’s shortness, the audience stared in surprise - Jimmy hasn’t joined the dance club nor was he seen dancing anywhere in Bullworth - yet he moved almost like a professional, back straight and limbs moving like water until he fell back against someone’s firm chest and he looked up to Trent’s smile.

“Are you still looking for your prince?” he asked.

Jimmy elbowed him in the gut and broke from his grip with the girliest scream he could manage and the audience exploded with applause.

When the audience calmed down, Trent stood up straight with a wheeze.

“I mean it - you’re so beautiful,” he gasps, arm around his own stomach. “Never before have I coveted someone with the grace and beauty of a swan.”

Jimmy stared at him, ready to maim him with the berry basket before dropping it and stepping towards him, hesitantly holding his hand out.

“Where did you come from?” he asks.

“Far away from here,” the prince replies.

“Beyond this forest?”

“Beyond the lakes.”

“In a paradise?”

Trent paused before smiling, saying: “Paradise is wherever you are. What is your name?”

Jimmy is floored with his delivery in spite of the fuck-ups that the cast has driven him mad with, but he held his hand, resting the other on his shoulder and their bodies swayed. In the audience, Angie and Christy held hands in awe of the absolute scene before them.

“It’s Aurora,” Jimmy blurted, growing warm. Are the lights making them heat up or something? “And you…?”

“Your handsome prince,” Trent whispered closely.

The audience didn’t hear him at all, but interested whispers percolated through the audience.

The pair began to dance slowly, but it wasn’t awkward and clunky like with Pedro, but it was more graceful. The spotlights above followed them with Donald growing nervous being in such close proximity of an expensive piece of equipment until they stopped, noses touching and out of breath.

Trent smiled and let go of him before bowing.

“We must meet again! Where do you live?”

“I-in the cottage,” Jimmy found his voice, coughing, “there’s a tiny cottage by the stream about 2 minutes away from here. I live there with my godparents.”

“Then I shall return to see you again!” he smiled brightly when Jimmy gasped in panic and looked up to the sky.

“The sun! It’s going down! I must get going before it gets too dark!”

“What? B-but we just met!” the man spluttered, “don’t you want to come to my place for the night?”

“I-I can’t! I’ll see you another time! My godparents said that they’re taking me away on a small trip tonight as well, so I must prepare!”

Trent suddenly held his hand, saying: “I’ll come see you before you leave! I’ll see you then!”

“Truly?” Jimmy says wistfully and he kissed the back of his hand.

“Before the sun darkens,” he winked before letting go. “Farewell, Aurora.”

“Farewell, my ‘prince,’” Jimmy says, giving him a small wave before running off-stage, pretending to puke in a bucket while the fairies snorted and cackled at the performance.

While Trent went on a poetic tirade comparing Aurora to gemstones and jewellery, Jimmy re-read the script, indeed noticing how much everybody’s deviating from the script so far but actually… he won’t admit it, but he’s having a lot of fun right now. If he were less popular with everyone, he’d have his ass kicked the second he steps onto the playground.

“Hey Jimmy, how’s the dress?” Damon suddenly asks tauntingly.

Jimmy looked at his fairy costume before smirking.

“It’s very comfortable.”

After Trent’s 5 minute monologue was over, he stepped off-stage much to the relief of the audience and the curtains fell for an intermission and chatter filled the hall while everybody backstage relaxed.

“Alright, people,” Trent sighed, “the audience seems to love us, despite the little mess-ups you’re all putting us through right now.”

“Hey man, if the audience loves us, then we’re obviously doing things right,” Damon shrugs.

“I KNOW,” the blonde whined. “But we could do BETTER. Thankfully I saved the play with my speech just now.”

Jimmy said nothing, drinking some water while listening to them.

“Jimmy!”

The sudden cry almost made him drown in his drink.

“What?” he sputtered as everybody stared at him. “What? Did someone piss on my dress?”

“No, but where did you learn how to dance?” Trent asked curiously, “it wasn’t in the script at all.”

“Shit,” he grumbled. “You got me. I only read my SPEAKING lines, not actions, because you highlighted the damn scripts.”

“No, you were divine, Jimmy!” Gloria spoke up quickly, “I’ve never seen someone dance as gracefully as you did before! Even Mandy was amazed and she’s technically the best dancer!”

“Glad to hear it,” he said before taking a long drink - theatre is such thirsty work…

“We’re not out of the woods yet!” Trent suddenly spoke up determinedly, looking at the cast of tired misfits. “The final half is coming up, and because of budget constraints I had to make some severe cuts, so the play isn’t as long as I want it to be.”

Understatement of the century.

When the play began for the second half, Jimmy went back to his godmothers who have prepared a beautiful blue dress and a huge-ass cake, only to tell him about his true destiny as a princess.

“Wait a second!” Jimmy blurted and the fairies looked at him. “Let me get this straight-”

Trent was biting his script, glaring at the from off-stage.

“YOU sheltered me all these years because of some stupid curse and NOW you’re telling me that I’m going to be married tomorrow?!” he ranted. He remembered Trent telling him to put more emotion into his voice, so he tried to remember the anger he felt when his mother told him about her engagement to her second husband. “ALL YOU’VE DONE WAS PREPARE ME FOR MARRIAGE AND NOTHING ELSE! AM I JUST A PAWN FOR A PAIR OF DIMWITS WHO PISSED OFF A WITCH?”

The fairies stared at him, uncertain of what to say. Again, ad-libbing is causing trouble.

“Your parents just wanted to protect you!” Gloria cried out, thankfully breaking the silence. “It’s what they’d want for you!”

“That witch, Maleficent, is extremely powerful!” Ray added in fear, “she cursed you so that you’d die by the end of tonight so we took you here to protect you from that fate!”

“So just do as we say!” Damon blurted, “it’s for YOUR safety!”

“You’re unbelievable!” Jimmy yelled and stormed away. “YOU’RE THE WORST GODPARENTS EVER!”

Donald quickly ran to the backstage door and slammed it as hard as he could, sighing in relief when Trent gave him a thumbs-up.

The fairies looked at each other uncertainly.

“I wish we didn’t have to take her,” Gloria suddenly says sadly.

“Same,” Ray muttered.

“Well, we have to,” Damon crossed his arms, “it’s what we raised her for.”

“Like a lamb to the slaughter,” Ray says.

“Well if anything DOES happen…” Damon tapped his noggin. “My spell will work for her.”

“That is, if she even will love the prince she’s destined to meet,” Gloria rolled her eyes. “But let’s get the food together and a carriage. It WAS part of the agreement to have her taken to the castle tonight, after all.”

The play went on with the cardboard cutout of a carriage being wheeled over the stage before the black curtain fell while Cornelius carried on with the narration, and Jimmy quickly dressed in the blue dress which thankfully fit him okay.

“You look beautiful, ‘princess’,” Trent winked and Jimmy sighed heavily.

“I’ll be so glad when this is over.”

“Jimmy,” Trent suddenly says, seconds before Jimmy due to go on stage.

“What?”

He just smiled at him. “Thanks for doing this, Jimmy.”

The fuzzhead just snorted, but gave him the ‘peace’ handsign before the curtains began to rise and he sat at a dressing table in what would’ve been Aurora’s childhood home. The fairies, dressed in their costumes, fussed with his hair before Ray put a gold tiara (a cheap tin cut into shape and painted yellow) on top of his hair.

“We will be just outside to keep guard and make sure that Maleficent doesn’t come get you,” Gloria says.

Jimmy said nothing, just staring into the mirror. He could see the faces of the audience intently watching this shitshow of a play.

“We’ll see you in a few hours,” Damon added after a moment of awkward silence because Ray forgot his line - a simple one of concern, but Trent will soon ‘correct’ him after the play…

They walked off-stage and Jimmy stood up. He took a deep breath and punched the mirror and it broke into pieces with a loud shattering noise that echoed over the intercoms. The audience gasped loudly and even the teachers stood up in apprehension, but remembered what they were told in the staff meeting with a note that Trent gave them in forewarning:

What the audience don’t know is that the mirror already had subtle cracks in the back of it so that a simple punch would floor it, plus Jimmy’s wearing a pair of long blue gloves to match the dress with an extra glove inside them for protection.

“Damn them!” he cried out and fell to his knees, avoiding the mirror pieces. “Am I just a lamb to be given away the second I touch the marital age? Will I ever know freedom? Will I be free to love who I want? Will I ever meet my paradise?”

A voice echoing over the speakers spoke up, low and seductive - Lola’s magic indeed.

“You will…”

Jimmy said nothing, looking around with glazed eyes. He thought of a time his father promised to see him for Christmas and he didn’t, which always got his eyes watery. Trent quickly checked his pocket for the fake tears gel, but it was still in there. He’s the only one who has such a thing.

“All you have to do… is touch the needle of that spinning wheel over yonder.”

Jimmy looked around, but someone set off a smoke bomb to the side of the stage, giving Donald enough time to push a spinning wheel just before the smoke dissipated.

“It will grant you your biggest wish… Imagine it and then touch it.”

Taking a deep breath, slowly like he’s in a trance, he stood up and walked over, hand outstretched…

“DON’T DO IT, AURORA!” Damon yelled and the fairies ran on-stage.

For a moment Jimmy stared at them, at their magical outfits and glowing plastic wands. His arm relaxed, but then it rose again.

“You three could’ve told me sooner that you were fairies!” he cracked, “you could’ve granted my wishes or give me more freedom! Instead, you just kept your powers all a secret from me.”

“They lied to you,” Lola’s voice oozed through the air, “they don’t deserve you any longer. You are a woman and you don’t do everything that you’re told to do.”

“Damn right, you are!” Jimmy cried out, then jabbed his finger onto the needle of the spinning wheel. The fairies yelled. “I WISH FOR A LIFE WHERE I’M FREE!”

He didn’t press it hard enough for his own blood to seep, but as he bend the needle tip, a thin tube inside the cardboard needle-holder squirted a bit of blood out so that the more perceptive of audience members gasped and threw their hands over their mouths, thinking that he actually cut himself.

He grunted, hand clenching before allowing himself to collapse to the floor and his crown clattered, splitting in half as it’s cheap metal. Meanwhile, off-stage, Donald cast a fearful glance at Trent, but he was too captivated by the play to throw the master script at his head.

The fairies cried as the curtain fell.

~~~

Jimmy is so glad to have a break after all that.

As he sat down to eat a quick sandwich, he listened to that play going on on-stage. Right now, Trent is bravely fighting Lola (both with foam swords) while dramatic music played over the speakers. The audience got riled up again, laughing and cheering, but Jimmy didn’t care. He doesn’t have any more speaking lines, however…

He literally just remembered that the prince has to kiss Aurora in order to break the sleeping curse on her and his cheeks warmed up. Hopefully it’ll be a chaste one because… well… yes, everyone knows he’s made out with half the school, but never so publicly before!

A loud piercing scream made him flinch and cover his ears, looking as the giant dragon (made out of black felt constructed on a tower of shopping trolleys- what?) fell back with Trent’s foam sword stuck in it’s chest and he let out a belting cheer- wait, when did he lose his shirt?

Before Jimmy could gulp at the sight, the curtain descended and someone quickly shook his shoulder as Donald hissed.

“Come on, help me with your bed! The kiss is coming up!”

So while the curtain was down, everyone backstage quickly pushed the shopping trolleys away and propped up the walls for the castle bedroom before Jimmy flopped onto the bed and the fairies placed the blankets over him as well as a bouquet of roses in his hands.

“Good luck, loverboy,” Damon whispered and Jimmy flipped him off without opening his eyes.

He can hear the curtains rising, but he can also hear Trent breathing heavily.

“I’ve slayed the monster… what? Oh my god… it’s Aurora… SHE’S a princess? It must be so! I cannot believe th-”

“JUST KISS ALREADY!” an audience heckler yelled.

Jimmy STRONGLY resisted the urge to laugh only for warm lips to press against his and he stiffened. It’s a simple kiss, but warmth spread through him like a lifting curse…

Before it vanished and Jimmy opened his eyes. As instructed by the script, they smiled at each other and he sat up.

Before Donald could drop the curtains for another transition, Jimmy spoke up.

“I’m finally in paradise.”

Trent’s heart missed a beat. Ad-libbed, but it’s so fucking perfect.

~~~

Jimmy didn’t bother wearing his Aquaberry tuxedo after all, opting for a tracksuit as he and Trent will only be eating in a private booth anyway. As per instructions from Gord, the staff refrained from making any insults to how the pair dressed very comfortably so all they could do is serve juicy steaks, chips, all sorts of tiny delicacies…

Hours ago, Jimmy’s Herculean task of braving through a production of Sleeping Beauty has come to an end and now he’s reaping the rewards, greedily eating up the gourmet food before him.

“This food is freaking GORGEOUS,” Trent commented happily, drinking down a cola (the staff refused to serve alcohol.) Wiping his lips, he looked up at Jimmy. “Hey, are you gonna take part in another-”

“Nope!” Jimmy interrupts, “never again! It’s bad enough that I’m the main lead despite having the fewest lines, nevermind being put in front of hundreds of people.”

“I’ve never felt so happy before with a play!” Trent fluttered delightfully. “You guys were all perfect apart from the smartasses making things up as you go.”

“Well, hey, we had people asking for an encore, so it WAS good enough.”

“Yeah… too bad Donald didn’t get the camera switched on for the duration otherwise I’d have kept it all on a tape…” the blonde groans. “I wanna wedgie him, but he’s done all that magical shit with the lights, the props, hell even the timing…”

Jimmy swallowed a mouthful of chips down like a seagull, pointing his fork at him.

“Come on, give us all a break. We didn’t have enough time to revise, plus we just finished exams, so you gotta give us credit for working our asses off for you and this play. Besides, your script was top-notch.”

Trent stared at him. “Do you really mean that?”

“Of course,” Jimmy nodded, eating another chip. “But don’t think that I’m going to join another production, because the next time I get help from someone, it’ll be from a nerd.”

Grinning, Trent put his cutlery down before pulling something from his pocket, and slipped on a pair of thick-rimmed glasses.

“Got your nerd right here.”

The fuzzhead burst out laughing, and so did Trent.

Their meal soon came to an end and they had a long walk to the beach house, sitting on the edge of the jetty to watch the waters. Their pairs of trainers and socks sat behind them as they swung their legs above the water.

They talked about the play, the comedy, Bullworth, the future, friendships, crippling anxiety over the possibility of dying without making an achievement in life, delicious food, experiences, meeting people, leaving people…

“Those make up for the things you don’t do, I guess,” Trent grumbles, “but I’d still wanna make it big and go into theatre, even if it’s local. I WILL be known to the world!”

“Before you do that, casanova,” Jimmy said before scooting closer to kiss his cheek, “go talk to Kirby. He’s not going to wait around for you forever.”

A blank stare met him. “You mean it?”

“Yeah! Don’t make me push you into the sea, oblivious moron!”

“Hey! YOU’RE the oblivious moron!”

They argued, laughing and pushing until they both fell into the water and crawled out, glad that there’s a fireplace in the beach house and someplace to sleep for the night after today’s exhausting play.


End file.
